Pray for Jerusalem's peace! Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers! Friendly insiders, get along! Hostile outsiders, keep your distance! ~Psalm 122:6-9 (MSG)
We awaken this past Saturday to an unexpected and unprecedented shock. The country of Israel has suffered an attack on their soil by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As the news shouts from the television screen, the images are so exceedingly disturbing and heartrending. I feel like I'm viewing scenes from a horror movie. But this is no fictional tale.
As the day progresses, questions swirl in my mind. Where was the Iron Dome? Why didn't it work? How did Hamas breech the physical border between Israel and Gaza? What was the state of intelligence gathering before this heinous event? Why can't the hostile outsiders learn to keep their distance?
I'm sure all those questions and more will be addressed and answered in the coming weeks. But for now, I can only watch, listen and grieve for the families who lost loved ones who were either killed or taken as hostages by Hamas. Just the latter fact will make it all the more difficult to storm Gaza with a barrage of firepower.
War is ugly. Horrifying. And in this case, unprovoked.
It is beyond my comprehension that there are people here in America who insist on blaming Israel for this conflict. When did the Jewish state fire the first shot? Kill the first Arab? Declare war against their neighbor?
They didn't.
And now, the United States is not only called upon to engage in some way with this middle-east conflict, but we are also under the obligation to aid our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in their continuing struggle against Russia's power and aggression.
I can't help but conclude that all this chaos is a product of a weak and feckless administration. No matter what your think, or thought about, President Donald Trump, he governed with the policy of peace through strength, just as President Reagan did in the 1980s.
And it was working. The middle-east peace treaty enacted through the Abraham accords. Islamic terrorist leaders taken out, stopped in their steps before creating more havoc and unrest in the region. And the hope for more peaceful alliances created in that crucial corner of the world in the future. Think the recent negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
How does God feel when He sees His chosen people under siege? I'm sure His heart is breaking with the slaughter of innocents. His heavenly tears falling as He witnesses, once again, man's inhumanity to man on full display.
May we continue to pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters stranded in their war-torn country as they strive to defend their homeland - the Holy Land. And may God Almighty bless them with triumph and victory over this evil, that Jerusalem may once again know peace.
The peace that passes all understanding.
Amen!
Amen, Martha. Amen.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Glynn!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Amen, amen, amen!
ReplyDeleteAnd again, we say amen, Terri!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I totally agree with you, Martha. I also believe we are seeing the "beginning of the end". If these wars keep escalating around the world, we may see a much bigger and more horrifying war than ever before. I keep my eyes on the Eastern Sky, watching for our Redemption to draw nigh! Yes, we must pray for the peace of Israel! Pray for people everywhere to turn to the Lord before it is too late!
ReplyDeleteI've been contemplating the same thing about end times, Pamela, but since we can't know the day or the hour, I will leave all that timing up to God. Let us keep our eyes fixed on that horizon while we pray for our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I am appalled by Hamas' actions and by those who blame Israel. So I will add my AMEN to Glynn's and Terri's.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill. May we continue to pray for our Jewish brothers and sisters.
DeleteLove and blessings!
100% agree with what you've said, Martha. Time to dry my tears and pray harder.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure when the tears will stop, Myra, but yes, we must keep praying.
DeleteLove and blessings!
We can't imagine what those peace-desiring residents of these areas are experiencing. Have been in war, I can assure you it is nothing I would ever want my family to experience. If God tarries, then we in the U.S. may experience this same horror. Each day, hundreds of Chinese, Arab, and other nationalities (funny, these folks don't speak Spanish or look Latin America) are crossing our southern border? Are they seeking asylum or waiting for the signal to begin creating the same chaos and terror we see being inflicted upon families and children on both sides of this war? Time will tell. I join with you and many other Christian-Americans who are praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the safety of wives, mamas, and children caught up in this horrific situation.
ReplyDeleteThose exact same thoughts have crossed my mind, too, J. D. How can we be assured of our nation's security when the borders are wide open? And the got-aways are probably in the millions at this point. May God be our refuge and our strength in Israel and in our own country.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha Jane: This animosity toward Israel began in the OLD TESTAMENT, Sarah, who was barren, took it upon herself to find a way to get a son. This eventually caused jealousy between her and Hagar, the bondservant who actually birthed Ismael. I have to remember that as we hear the atrocities against Israel. Peace and blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI am well aware that this conflict has existed for thousands of years, Cecelia, but that doesn't make it excusable. I saw just today that at least 40 babies were found decapitated by Hamas in a kibbutz near the border. Rachel, once again, is weeping for her children. The atrocities are just horrific, and they must be stopped. May God hear the cries of His children.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Unconscionable events.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are, Christine. They are almost too atrocious for words. Let's keep praying!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Another sad event for the world to witness. When will all these wars and people dying end.
ReplyDeleteI suppose these conflicts won't come to an end until Jesus returns, Bill. We can all hope in that.
DeleteLove and blessings!
God bless you for your courageous stand for that sanctified land and its people, Martha. I shouldn't have to ascribe courage for speaking out for a nation and its people that are, in my opinion, our premier ally. But the Jew haters in this land obviously hate us as well and will seek to silence us every way they can. Anti-Semites have infiltrated every level of academia, every Federal agency, corporate leadership, social media, entertainment, and they practically own the leftist propaganda machines that used to be news organizations that engaged in journalism. The predictable attacks on reality and truth are emerging everywhere and are propagating the same lie. "It's Israel's fault," they declare and the Hamas terrorists are the victims. Our Israeli brothers and sisters need us to fight as hard to defend them against the ones who hate them here as they are fighting their attackers over there.
ReplyDeleteSorry--didn't mean to go on so much, but my heart is burdened for that land and for the innocent men, women, and children slaughtered and abused in ways our minds don't want to imagine. So, thank you once again, my dear sister in Christ, for your courage, your faith, and your willingness to use your gifts to inspire, motivate, and encourage others, as you have done for Diane and me today.
Thank you for your sympathetic thoughts here, Ron. I don't know if it took courage to explore this topic or simply a sense of outrage at these senseless and merciless attacks on a nation who simply wishes to live in peace. You are right that animosity toward the Jewish people has inexplicably grown over the years in the U.S. and frankly, I don't know why except for the left taking extreme stances in everything, ignoring history in the process.
DeleteThe straw that continues to break this camel's back is the callousness of one congresswoman who couldn't even answer the reporter's question when asked if it was wrong of Hamas to behead babies. You can't answer that??? Lord, save us from the evil one.
Love and blessings!
Terrible events. I join you in praying for peace. When will all this hatred end?
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Martha.
Yes, they are beyond terrible, Victor. When will this tribal hatred that's been around for thousands of years end? Not until Jesus returns.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Bom dia, Martha
ReplyDeleteA guerra é terrível, fruto do egoísmo humano, vamos orar pela paz em Israel e por todos os lugares onde a guerra ainda continua, um forte abraço.
Amen, Lucinalva! Let's never stop praying for peace.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, I'm praying for Israel's peace. What is happening is horrific.
ReplyDeleteIt is exactly that, Barbara - horrific. And the brutality is obscene beyond words. Keep praying!
DeleteLove and blessings!
All people like me can do is pray for those innocent people in the was zones, it is horrible what is going on
ReplyDeleteIt is horrible, indeed, Jo-Anne. May we never cease to pray.
DeleteLove and blessings!
In agreement with much being said here! How men can inflict such horror on fellow human beings, especially innocent children and babies, defies all reason. Such events as we see unfolding do turn our minds toward "end times." Without too much imagination, we can see this conflict escalating into a world-wide war. In the meantime, we PRAY! / Praise be to the Lord our Rock . . . Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them. Reach down your hand from on high; deliver the Israelis, the American hostages, and others. Rescue them from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. . . Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord (based on portions of Psalm 144)!
ReplyDeleteBlessed are those who proclaim that God is their Lord, Nancy. We must never cease to pray for the afflicted in this situation we are now witnessing. Even those of us that know evil is alive and well in this world, these heinous acts are beyond comprehension. Only God can save and turn things to right for His divine purposes.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I appreciate your view of Israel's right to exist. But I respectfully disagree very seriously with your assessment of the former president and the current one. God bless America. May we keep our democracy.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect and affection, Cloudia, how did the current administration deal with the wildfires that destroyed endless acres and lives in Maui? I would love your honest assessment.
DeleteEvil does not respect weakness - that is the reality. Be strong in the Lord, or go home.
Love and blessings!
Oh my goodness. We blame our nation for their wars. Goodness. I am shocked. As Christians, can’t we just stop bashing our leaders? Brenda
ReplyDeleteBashing others certainly isn't a Christian way to act, Brenda, that's for sure! Let us ditch that and simply pray for Israel and her people.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I join you in prayer for Jerusalem Martha, and pray that the Lord will intervene here and protect the Jewish nation.Amen.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining with me, Brenda, in prayer for the Jewish people in Israel and all over the world.
DeleteLove and blessings!
You are right. War is ugly and horrifying. Nobody is the winner. It is a loss for both sides ......... turning the clock back for both parties where by all the progress made is gone. Sad.
ReplyDeleteAnd sadly, the war looks like it will go on indefinitely, Haddock. I am praying for our Jewish brothers and sisters around the clock. Israel is our only true ally in the Middle East.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I agree with your thoughts...I can hardly turn on the news...and to answer your question "How does God feel?" He knows...and has always known, it is foretold so in the Bible...I can't stress enough the importance of accepting his love and mercy. Time is short on this Earthly plain. It saddens me to know how much evil is amuck. The devil is roaming free and claiming prey as he goes.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Linda, that God knows all, and I'm sure this latest calamity for His chosen people is not one He is enjoying at all. Yes, the devil is running rampant because evil people show no restraint and have no desire to seek God and His perfect will. The world can't come to Jesus fast enough!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great post. Well said. thecontemplativecat here
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Susan!
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Martha, this has all certainly been troubling and sad. I'm joining you in praying for Israel. I so appreciate your message and your willingness to write about the hard stuff. God bless, dear. Karen Friday
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you appreciated this post, Karen, and that you are joining me in prayer for Israel.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great post pointing at some big questions that need to be answered!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Duta. May our loving Father in heaven bless you and keep you safe!
DeleteLove and blessings!